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Thursday, January 31, 2013

{Beauty Bloom}: The Best Way to Care for Your Skin w/Artistry {updated}

Winter is here and a lot of the skin issues we have stem from lack of hydration and frigid temperatures. There's also that time of the month which brings the inevitable blemish. Oh, the joy of being a woman! Gotta love it. In my earnest effort to maintain healthy, pretty and picture-ready skin, no matter the weather, I talked to my friends at Artistry (you know I'm obsessed with their eyeliner and creme lux line) about the best practices we can implement at home. I asked brand manager Maggie Pepoy, a beauty industry expert and veteran (Estée Lauder, Avon, Chanel) some key questions about achieving the best results using some of the products.

Here's what she shares with us:

BSC: What's the best most effective way to use brown spot correctors? Do you recommend using more than one brown spot corrector at a time?MP: ARTISTRY currently has a TIME DEFIANCE Illuminating Essence that acts as a treatment step before moisturizer to gently yet effectively brighten skin by using patented ingredients to treat hyperpigmentation and reveal skin's natural luminosity. In addition, the Intensive Skincare Anti-Wrinkle Firming Serum contains retinol -- an ingredient known to accelerate skin cell renewal. We do know from our Clinical study that skin's clarity improved in just 2 weeks. In fact, 97% of women showed better clarity. Using both the Illuminating Essence and the Anti-Wrinkle Firming Serum together could provide even better results. For the most effective regimen, one would cleanse and tone, then treat with the Illuminating Essence both Morning and Evening (thinner viscosity) and then the Anti-Wrinkle Firming Serum Evening only (thicker viscosity). Finally, apply a moisturizer -- one with SPF for the day is recommended.

BSC: How essential is using a toner? MP: Toners are often considered the last step of cleansing and the first step of moisturization. ARTISTRY toners do even more -- not only do they complete the cleansing step, they also provide excellent hydration, PLUS they prime the skin to accept the treatments following, so helping to boost the benefits of those treatments. Toners are essential to getting the most out of a skincare regimen.

BSC: If you do an intense treatment like the 14 night restore, can you still use your daily regiment of spf's, toners, skin correctors, under-eye? MP: The 14 Night Restore Program is used only at nighttime, for 2 weeks. In your evening regimen, it should be your only Treatment step for those 2 weeks, followed by a Nighttime face moisturizer and eye cream. The morning routine can be as usual, with the exception of certain products that increase exfoliation (for example, no AHS+ or Skin Refinishing Lotion or use of the Renewing Peel). SPF during the day is ideal, as is use of Toners and under-eye creams, which could be used both Day and Evening.BSC: Can peels be used with the lux line? MP: The Intensive Skincare Renewing Peel can be used across the entire ARTISTRY portfolio. It serves as a refreshing, hydrating, exfoliating treatment and is suitable for use within a Creme LuXury regimen. One would cleanse, then apply the Renewing Peel. After waiting 8 minutes and rinsing off, one would apply a toner then a moisturizer and Creme LuXury is an ideal moisturizer to re-energize and transform the skin.

BSC: Can the lux line be used alongside the 14 night restore? MP: YES! And we would recommend this. Creme LuXury and Creme LuXury Eye are ideal companions to be applied following the 14 Night Restore Program in the evenings, during the 2 weeks of 14 Night Restore Program's usage. One should absolutely apply a Nighttime moisturizer over 14 Night Restore Program and Creme LuXury provides a great texture that absorbs seamlessly into skin and is appropriate for all skin types. One can also use Creme LuXury and Creme LuXury Eye in the morning regimen as well.BSC:Is it true that water is essential in balancing the skin and help promote a healthier glow? If so, how much water do you recommend drinking to really boost and compliment any skin care program? MP: Experts don't agree on a direct link between drinking water and skin hydration. They all agree, though, that drinking water is essential to overall health. I personally know that when I'm keeping hydrated by drinking water often throughout the day, I think my skin looks and feels better. One thing everyone can agree on, is that keeping skin moisturized and repairing the skin's moisture barrier when it is disrupted are truly the key to giving skin a healthier glow and balancing it. A good moisturizer, like ARTISTRY Creme L/X or Essentials Soothing Cream, will restore depleted hydration in the skin, giving it elasticity and a smooth feel.BSC: Should we be loving and treating our neck and décolletage as much as we do our face? What's the best product for that? MP:Absolutely! The neck and decolletage will show age, just as the face does over time. We advise using your serums and moisturizers across the face and neck areas, and spreading over the decolletage too. And it would be best to cover with an SPF layer during the daytime when exposed to the outdoors. This can help prevent the thinning crepiness and freckling women often see on the neck and decolletage. We would recommend products from TIME DEFIANCE or Creme L/X for the best anti-aging care.BSC: I travel a lot with my work, so maintaining these detailed regimens can be difficult and time-consuming. What would you say are the top 3 things to travel with and apply when living out of a hotel?MP:Because your skin will be exposed to dryness on the airplane and the stress of travel in general, we would recommend using what we call our "Power System" -- an eye cream, a treatment serum, and a moisturizer. We're often tired and sleep-deprived when traveling, so a good eye cream, like Creme L/X Eye, will keep the eye area hydrated, brightened and awake-looking. A powerful treatment serum, likeIntensive Skincare Anti-Wrinkle Firming Serum, will boost skin's radiance and intensify the benefits of a moisturizer applied on top. Especially appropriate for the stress of travel is the new Intensive Skincare 14-Night Restore Program. It resists skin stress and boosts repair at the cellular level so skin can fight all sorts of aggressors when it's challenged by a major event, like a big trip. And a rich moisturizer, like Creme L/X or TIME DEFIANCE Night Recovery Crème, will seal in the moisture and the anti-aging benefits to restore skin's healthy-looking, youthful appearance.

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Photography

I take my own pics on a Nikon D5000 and use two different lenses, unless otherwise noted. If not me, pics are taken by my number one photographer, Dave Patterson of RH Media Group. He prettifies everything.